


A Much Needed Change

by PrincessZiegler00



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 18:59:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18762460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessZiegler00/pseuds/PrincessZiegler00
Summary: A renowned surgeon decides its time to stop relying on their spouse to travel back and forth to them, and makes the move to Seattle for A Much Needed Change





	1. Chapter 1

Heels clicking on the tile floor made many heads turn. The presence of an unknown doctor always made the attendings and residents uneasy, fearing that a new co-worker could bring unwanted drama to the workplace or worse, a replacement. The hospital was being subjected to a new, but needed, change. Not many knew about the change, but many doctors suspected it. Meredith Grey was a world renowned General Surgeon who also specialized in pediatrics. Her young age and appearance threw many people off, and many just treated her like an intern. After graduating from high school and med school earlier than most, she quickly made it through her intern year and residency making her the youngest attending seen in decades.

The nurses on the fifth floor watched as Meredith Grey walked towards the chief’s office, her head held high and eyes never straying from in front of her. She could feel the stares, but pretended that they didn’t affect her. She reminded herself that although she appreciated the nurses help, they often were the carriers of all the gossip. She was sure that most of the staff would hear about the visiting doctor and expected a bit of a crowd by the time she stepped out of the chief's office. The Chief's secretary greeted Meredith with a smile before leading her into the Chief's office. The door opening made the Chief stand up, eager to greet an old friend.

"Meredith Grey, last time I saw you, you were a mumbling mess who made all the interns feel stupid because you could answer questions they couldn't and you were younger than them." Meredith smiled at that comment, laughing softly at that memory.

"Miranda Bailey, l haven't seen you since that year. To say your phone call was a surprise is an under statement." The duo moved to sit, and Miranda closed the blinds so people couldn’t see into the office.

"Grey, I was serious on the phone. The position is yours. Your people are here, I made the best offer money wise, state of the art technology, best trauma center in the states, and I'm offering exactly what you want." Miranda leaned forward on her desk, hoping to sell the job more.

"Dr. Bailey, I'm already here. That’s me accepting and it’s about time I move out here and stop expecting my husband to travel to me every weekend. I already told Cristina and Alex to expect a very cool surprise, which is me." Meredith reached into her bag, pulling out the paperwork that had been emailed to her a few weeks ago. All signed, she handed them to Bailey. "I don’t want a big fancy introduction I'd rather just start working." Bailey smiled, okay with her terms as she stood up and shook Meredith's hand.

"Go surprise Yang and Karev."

-

The whispers had already started, and that didn’t change especially when she walked into the vacant Chief of General's office. She sat her purse down, smoothing her black skirt, a nervous habit of hers, before grabbing the white lab coat that held her name and credentials. She exited the office, a small smile on her face as she roamed the hospital. Meredith wasn’t planning on actually working today, but getting a feel of the hospital once again and seeing old friends was on the agenda. She headed to the pediatric center, knowing that Alex would be around there but to also familiarize herself with the layout. The elevator ride was short and uneventful, and the short walk to the nurses station was filled with more stares. She turned the corner to find Alex working on some charts. Meredith made her way over there, slowly and quietly before placing her hands over his eyes.

"Jo, I’m working.”

“Good thing I'm not Jo.” Alex turned quickly at the sound of his best friend’s voice. He smiled, a laugh escaping his mouth as he pulled Meredith into a big bear hug. Alex hadn'tseen Meredith in person in a few years. The last time they were together was when Cristina and Owen had gotten married.

“Mer, what are you doing here?” Alex asked as he pulled away, not believing she was in front of him. “Does Cristina know? How long are you staying?” It was at this point in time that he noticed her lab coat. Meredith Grey, Chief of General Surgery. His eyes widen before he hugged her again. “You're staying? For real this time?” Meredith laugh, smiling as she hugged him again.

“Yes. I'm staying. And what do you mean ‘this time’? Last time I was only here for a consult and I never actually made it to inside the hospital because the patient coded and died while I was on a plane,” she reminded him. Alex and Meredith had been friends since med school, having gone through everything with him and Cristina. Alex was like her big brother, and Cristina was her person. People always asked her what she meant when she referred to Cristina as “her person” and her answer was simple, ‘she’s the person I go to for everything. The person I can't live without,I can't stay mad at, and the person that supports me in everything that I do. Being someone's “person” is a commitment. A commitment that Cristina and I promised to be to one another,’ and usually they would leave her alone after that. Alex pulled her into a hug one more time before turning and placing the tablet on the table and pulling Meredith in the direction of the pit.

“Have you seen Derek yet? Of course not, he’d be following you around like a lost puppy. Wait, you found me first? Does this mean you like me better than Yang?” His smile was huge as he continued, “I always knew you liked me more!” Meredith laughed and shook her head.

“Now where’s this wonderful fiancée I’ve heard so much about? As your Best Woman, I kinda need to know her to approve of this wedding.”

“She currently in surgery with God himself.” Alex winked and laughed, spotting the person he was seeking out and prepared himself for the moment he’s been dreaming of all his life, even though it is clear the person was previous engaged.“Christina Yang, I have some bad news. I took your spot on the best friend list, I’m now number one.”

“Karev, I’m with a patient. I apologize, Mrs. Keely, but your labs look clear and you should be good to go home within the hour.” Dr. Yang stood up and pulled the curtain around the bed, rolling her eyes as she turned towards the number one nuisance in her daily life. “What did I say about disrupting, Karev? You’re just as bad as the interns, I swear—” Her hands flew to grab Alex’s form as she stared at the smiling woman behind him.

“Now Cristina, he’s came a long way since we first met him. Cut him some slack.”

“Meredith Grey, you’re suppose to be in New York mending children’s stomachs and waiting for our FaceTime session that’s due to start in two hours!”

“But I’m here instead. To stay.”

“To stay?” Yang looked at Karev for confirmation, Alex nodding his head enthusiastically before Cristina let out a squeal that was very out of character. “I can’t wait to terrorize the interns with you, and believe me, they are all dumb.” Cristina and Meredith hugged, something they hadn’t done in so long that it felt foreign.

“Now if you don’t mind, I have a surgeon who isn’t aware of my presence and a claim to stake.” Mer smirked and winked at the duo infront of her before strutting down the hallway, a new purpose fuelling her steps.

-

The gallery above OR 1 stared at the woman who stared intently at the surgery below. She hadn’t bothered to take a seat when she step inside, not that she could if she had wanted to, but rather had walked right up to the glass and immediately immersed herself in the complex procedure below.

Dr. Derek Shepherd had a patient with an exposed brain on the table, looking like he was just about to finish. His voice filled the viewing area and it soothed Meredith instantly. He handed off his tools and started taking off his surgical gown, before asking Dr. Jo Wilson to close up. Meredith held a look of disbelief, having never seen Derek teach and allow someone to take over such an integral part of the procedure, she pressed the intercom and spoke with a smile.

“Derek Shepherd letting someone close? If the medical journals could see this!” All eyes snapped to her, but Derek was the only one she made eye contact with. They mirrored one another’s smile before Dr. Shepherd turned and ran to scrub out of surgery and go find Meredith in the lobby. He didn’t have to wait long as he practically ran into her in the hallway. He grabbed her face in her hands, pressing his lips to hers and momentarily forgetting where they were. They broke apart at the sound of a catcall, which cause the couple to laugh.

“Mer, what are you doing here?”

“Wow! Can’t a wife just surprise her husband at his workplace?” She rolled her eyes playfully but savoured the feeling of being in his arms.

“Meredith, you haven’t came and visited Seattle unless for work in the last four years. The innocent act isn’t going to work for too long.” His smirk was set in stone and Meredith silently questioned herself how she ever allowed herself to be apart from the amazing human in front of her.

“I got an email a few weeks ago from a certain Chief of Surgery, and I had to come to town to meet her and give her an answer.” Derek raised an eyebrow at her words, urging her to continue. “You better get started in the building of my dream house. Living in a trailer with your ego doesn’t sound too appealing.”


	2. Chapter 2

Derek had missed many things about living with his wife. It had been a long four years of only seeing each other on weekends and holidays, which most times he had to cancel last minute due to emergency surgeries. He missed the way she insisted on wearing his old tattered sweats to bed on the nights he got home late, curling instantly into his body as if she was a magnet attracted to him. The light in her eyes when she was in the middle of a surgery and she finds a way to save a patient even though it should be a lost cause. Her laugh filling the hospital hallways as she watches the interns running around like headless chickens. But in all the things he missed, there were some that he wished he would never have to deal with again. It was almost like there were back in pre-marriage times, freshly moved in with one another..... and two of her best friends.

Derek had awoken this morning to his wife pressed tightly against him, himself close to falling off the bed. He sat up, careful not to wake her when he noticed another body on the bed beside her. Confusion came first but quickly realization dawned. Cristina Yang slept peacefully beside Meredith, both snoring lightly, the smell of tequila pouring off both of them intensifying every waking moment. As he began his journey to grab clothes and shower quickly, he found another doctor occupying the small couch in the trailer. Sighing, he packed a bag and headed to the hospital early to shower before his shift, a smile tugging on his lips as familiarity settled in.

The talented trio woke up at different stages of hungover.

Alex Karev woke up to his phone beeping for the thousandth time, annoyed and regretting the six tequila shots from the night before. The brightness from the screen made him cringe and wince before he found the offensive notification. He jumped up quickly, knocking a lamp to the ground as he tried to pull on his jeans.

Meredith Grey jumped out of bed at the sound of the collision, grabbing the baseball bat that sat near the door, wielding it in front of her. She sighed and put it down, using her hand to slap Alex as she realized he was the reason for the noise.

“Haven’t you ever heard of not waking a hungover person with noise?”

“Haven’t you heard of not pressuring people into taking tequila shots?” They both stared at one another for a long pause, before smiling and breaking into laughter. As the laughter died down, Cristina Yang walked out with a scowl in place and her mane of hair sticking in all directions.

“We didn’t pressure you, you big baby. We lightly guided you down the path.” Yang inserted into the conversation, digging through her bag to look for her change of clothes. Alex finished grabbing his items and put his shoes on, looking at the two women in front of him as they stared.

“Check your phones! Bailey called a mandatory staff meeting.” He rushed out the door, the screen door slamming behind him while the two females waited patiently for him to come back. It took him exactly one minute and thirteen seconds to realize that he didn’t have a car and to head back inside. “Can you two please put clothes on, and drive me to the hospital.” Meredith nodded and she headed back into her room, changing quickly and grabbing another set of clothes as well. By the time she was back into the small kitchen grabbing a banana, Cristina was ready to go as well.

“Okay. We have exactly enough time to grab coffee, get to the hospital, shower and still have a couple minutes before the meeting.”

-

The drive to the hospital flew by, the three friends joking and picking on one another. As they stepped into the hospital, they went to their respective offices to shower and change into scrubs. Cristina was done first, and as time went on got crankier and crankier. The coffee had helped hold off the impending headache, although she knew she needed a better solution to manage her day. Determined, she headed to the clinic to grab some supplies and then hurried off to find Meredith and Alex.

Meredith was finished her shower, freshly changed and blow drying her hair when she heard anoise coming from her office. She walked out to see the other two hungover doctors sticking them selves with IV needles and attached banana bags to them selves filled with saline. She walked over and stuck her hand out, wincing at the slight pinch before grabbing the caddy that held the bag.

“We got to get going or chief is going to be mad.” They hurried down the hall arriving just on time. Derek greeted Meredith with a kiss, which she gladly returned, before smiling at the chief, hitting Alex’s arm when he started to giggle at Dr. Bailey’s expression. The meeting was informative but quick and she soon found herself getting called to the pit for a consult.

-

Andy Greeve’s abdomen was filling with blood and Meredith was worried it was his spleen. She took a look at his chart, Joe Wilson’s signature scribbled at the bottom.

“Call the blood bank for 4 units of O-neg, and page Dr Wilson to the OR stat!” Meredith yelled at the nearest nurse before getting the patient ready for transport. Quickly maneuvering him out of Trauma One. “Sir, it looked like your spleen ruptured and is causing blood to pool internally. I’m going to take you up to the OR and patch it up.”

Joe Wilson stared into the OR where Meredith Grey was currently working. The warm water washed the soap off her hands as she was lost in thoughts. She wasn’t sure how to feel about the new doctor. Alex had mentioned her occasionally but usually he only talked about her if Cristina was around. Watching her work, Joe finished her scrub in and headed through the automatic door. A nurse helped her with her gown and gloves before she headed to the table.

“Dr. Grey, you paged?”

“You signed off of Mr. Greeve’s chart. I’d like to know why he wasn’t given an ultrasound.” Joe froze for a second before she looked at the patient, Taking her time to make eye contact with Meredith again.

“At the time of his admittance, he was only complaining of dizzy spells. I called for a neuro consult and then waited for the results.”

“Did you scrub in? He was experiencing the symptoms of loss of blood. His spleen ruptured and it would be great if you jumped in to give me a hand to stop the bleeding and try to save some of it.”

Hours later, and many curses later, Wilson and Grey stared into the OR from the scrub-in sinks. A second year intern closed up the body, while they watched in silence. Jo was on the verge of tears, feeling the death take a toll on her mentality.

“I should have known it was due to blood loss. I should have—“

“Jo, it was a mistake. They happen. At the time, the information you had present didn’t connect to any dots. Next time, you’ll know to be a bit more in depth.” Meredith dried her hands before heading for the door. “The important thing, is you tried your hardest to save him life in the OR. You’re a good surgeon, Jo. Alex is lucky.” As she left Jo to process that, she went to deliver the news to the waiting family members. The tears and hugs went on for awhile, before she was able to sneak away to her Husbands office.

Derek’s office was a long journey from her’s, but so worth it when her eyes laid on his. She sat on his lap and rested her head on his shoulder. Derek wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back soothingly. A tradition they started back in her intern year. A long surgery usually meant that they had a long cuddle session after. It helped destress both parties and gave them time in one another presence.

“Did you know there is an intern named Dr. Grey?” Isn’t that weird?” Derek laughed.

“Want to know something even more weird? Sloan is sleeping with her!” Meredith’s eyes widen before standing up.

“Let’s go find him. I need more details.”

-

Mark Sloan was family. He grew up with Derek and instantly became friends with Meredith. He was still new to the Seattle Grace faculty, and many had still yet to work with him. But Meredith knew he was hiding in his office.

“Marky! Are you still so upset I chose Derek over you, that you had to sleep with a different Grey?” Mark spun in his chair when his door flew open, mentally remembering he needed to start locking that door.

“Mer-bear! It only took you a week and a half to come visit me. My heart is broken that you don’t care for me anymore!” He wrapped Mer into a big bear hug, throwing a glare towards Derek at the same time. “Derek, does bro-code mean nothing to you?”

“Mark, I gladly choose sex over secrets from my wife.”

“Wimp.”

“Mark, stop avoiding the question. Are you treating her right? Showing her the true Mark? Not the dick Mark?”

“Meredith, I’m a perfect gentleman. She reminds me of you actually. We should all have dinner! Tonight, my apartment.”

“Oh yay! How serious is this? Does mom know? Ohhhh! Can I be the first to tell her?” Mark’s head shook no quickly. Instantly, shutting down that round of questioning. “Ugh. You boys are no fun. We will see you tonight, Mark! Ohhh, can you make spaghetti?” Meredith barely had enough time to ask before Derek pushed her out the door. His laughter filling the hallway.

-

A few hours later, Meredith and Derek found themselves knocking on Sloan’s door. His voice yelled out from behind the door, and Meredith found her giddy to meet his girl. Derek had a hand clasped on her shoulder to keep her from jumping up and down. They didn’t wait long until the door swung open and they were invited in.

Lexie Grey had long blonde hair, that was currently tied up in a ponytail as she chopped up the vegetables. Introductions happened, and the four sat around the island chatting and getting to know one another. Lexie found herself staring at Derek’s wife a few times. A secret she only knew staying at the fore front of her brain. Dinner was a fun affair for the most part. Meredith asked a lot of questions, while the boys tried to defer her from the interrogation. Lexie answered politely, unable to really stop staring.

As the night dwindled to an end, the women found themselves cleaning up while the men enjoyed a glass of scotch.

“So Lexie, what made you apply to Seattle Grace?” Lexie noticeably froze before turning to face Meredith, a guilty expression on her face.

“Um, actually. I chose it because it’s where my half-sister did her intern year.”

“That’s cool! Siblings must have been fun. I don’t have any, so it was lonely growing up. Is she much older than you?” Lexie looked scared to answer, something Mer picked up on. “Sorry, I forget sometimes I’m a lot to handle. Sloan is just so much like a brother, it’s great seeing him as happy as he is.”

“No, it’s fine. Meredith I actually think I should tell you something.”

“Oh, okay? What is it? Am I being to much?”

“No, no. My dad is Thatcher Grey—”

Derek walked in with his keys and jacket in hand. Sloan followed behind him, both sporting large smiles.

“Ready to go, Mer?” Derek asked taking in the scene in front of him. Meredith staring wide eyed and a scared looking Lexie returning the stare.

“What did we miss, Derek? Why are they looking like that?” Mark was bewildered. Before Meredith explained.

“Lexie just told me she’s my sister.”


End file.
